Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY - Scott Ross Ph.D., CEO of Academy Award winning special effects company Digital Domain Inc. and Hofstra Alum class of 1974 is teaching a special three week course titled, "In Pursuit of the Green Light: Creativity and the Art of the Pitch.". In 1997 Dr. Ross was the recipient of an honorary doctorate degree from Hofstra.

The class is being held from January 29 to February 16, 2007 on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. Dr. Ross will also be giving a special presentation, "The Demise of Hollywood," to the entire University on Wednesday February 14, 2007 at 11:15 a.m. in room 117 Dempster Hall, the home of Hofstra's School of Communication.

The course focuses on strategic thinking within the creative environment of television and film, from concept to pitch to distribution. The students will work in teams as producers, directors, and writers exploring the possibilities of producing their concept for film and/or television by conducting extensive research. Throughout the course Dr. Ross will challenge the students to think in multiple paths as they explore the other side of television and filmmaking.

"We are very excited to have Scott Ross here at Hofstra," said Dr. Nancy Kaplan, chair of the Audio/Video/Film Department. "What a fantastic opportunity for our students to learn from one of our alums, who brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience from Hollywood and the film industry."

Dr. Ross founded Digital Domain Inc., one of the largest full-service digital production studios in the motion picture and advertising industries in 1993. In 1997 the film division of his company won their first Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in the highly acclaimed film "Titanic". Their second Academy Award, in 1998, was for their visual effects work on the film "What Dreams May Come". Besides Academy Awards for effects, Digital Domain has also been honored with two Scientific and Technical Achievement Academy Awards for its sophisticated proposition software in 1998 and again in 2001.

The Commercial Division of Digital Domain works with numerous fortune 500 companies, such as Nike, American Express, Gatorade, Coca-Cola, Mercedes Benz and they have garnered Clio Awards, given to reward creative excellence in advertising and design, for Visual Effects for the last five years. Besides Fortune 500 clients the Commercial Division also has produces visual effects for numerous music videos, such as "Love is Strong" by the Rolling Stones, which they won the 1994 Grammy and MTV Music Video Award for Best Visual Effects.

Dr. Ross recently opened a production division of the company to produce major motion pictures. The first film that they have produced was Secondhand Lions, released in September of 2003, which was written and directed by Tim McCanlies and starred Michael Caine, Robert Duvall and Haley Joel Osment for New Line Cinema.

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students find their edge to succeed in more than 140 undergraduate and 155 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business, communication, education and allied human services, and honors studies, as well as a School of Law. With a student-faculty ratio of 14-to-1, our professors teach small classes averaging 23 students that emphasize interaction, critical thinking and analysis. Hofstra offers a faculty whose highest priority is teaching excellence, cutting edge technology, extensive library resources, internships and special educational programs that appeal to their interests and abilities.